The Doppelgänger
by TennBlueBelle
Summary: A look a like blows into town and wants to rent out The Long Branch for an innocent birthday party... there's also talk of a ghost lurking in the shadows and skeletons in the closet... Is the town safe or is this just another bedtime story of someone's coming of age?


_Chapter 1_

 _Six-foot-two. Black hair with a hint of blue when the sunshine rays played on its waves. He slowly removed his black Stetson to reveal green eyes that reminded her of summer grass. He had broad shoulders under his dusty cowboy attire, and long legs encased in tight leather chaps. Matt was coming home that night, Kitty couldn't help her heart from missing her cowboy. This cowboy walking in, however, put her in mind of an outlaw version of Matt. Which was something that she didn't need after waiting for almost three weeks. He walked over to the bar._

 _Kitty kept her voice crisp despite the sudden flare of desire from the thoughts of Matt. "Can I help you?" She asked, while she finished drying the glasses. She looked over her shoulder._

 _His smile was slow and seductive, and it showed plenty of straight white teeth. His voice was just as sensual—a low, warm baritone that lingered over the vowels and made Kitty's insides melt. She imagined he knew that too, but it wasn't from him._

 _"I'm looking for Russell." He stated with no hesitance._

 _"That would be me." She turned to face him and noticed, with some satisfaction, that his smile faltered just a bit. She knew he was bad news, and she hated bad news when Matt was not in an earshot. "I'm Kitty Russell."_

 _"I see. I'm looking for the Russell that owns this place." There was disappointment in his voice. He was hoping this rose was just a saloon girl he could charm, not an owner he would have to deal with..._

 _"Again, me." Of course Kitty was used to this kind of conversation. It happened all the time. "My friends call me, Kitty but you can call me, Miss Russell."_

 _"Because?" He snorted._

 _"Because it's my last name..." Kitty was getting a little aggravated now as she walked around the bar. "... and I own the place."_

 _"That makes sense." His eyes raked over her figure._

 _Kitty lifted her eyebrow and asked, "What did you want?"_

 _This time his smile held a suggestion. Kitty just rolled her eyes._

 _"I wanted to look at rentin this place out for a night or two for me and my boys," He said, "One of my boys is coming of age and us older cowboys wanna throw him a birthday party of sorts."_

 _"Where's your posse?" Kitty looked around him._

 _He threw his head back toward the batwing doors. "Settlin' in at our camp."_

 _"Why this saloon?" Kitty questioning his intentions, "Have you asked around town? There are other saloons, you know?" She reminded._

 _"Sure." He answered bluntly as he looked around. "I like the uh... the decorations here."_

 _Kitty looked down at his holster. "Nice piece," she said dryly._

 _His eyebrow titled slightly. "Yeah it was a gift. It's a…"_

 _"'73 Single-Action Cattleman Revolver." She held her poker face as she spoke. Matt had taught her a lot over the years. He showed her what she could look for when men walked in... to take note in differences between ranchers, cattle drovers, outlaws, and lawmen; appearance and pieces._

 _He smiled. "You know your guns."_

 _"You sound shocked." Kitty raised her eyebrows._

 _"I guess I am. It's not often you see a woman as gorgeous as you running a saloon like this." He said, smiling._

 _"Would you prefer a healthy older gentleman with a gun of his own?" She sassed._

 _"Do you have that?" He wondered._

 _"I do... but he's at lunch." She warned about Sam._

 _"I can't tell if you're joking." He admitted._

 _"Most people can't," she said._

 _He stepped slightly closer. "So what can you do for me?" Getting back to his original question._

 _"Well, I'll just have to see what I can do." She looked around at her costumers._

 _He nodded. "I'm Mitch Malone, by the way. I'm an impolite asshole for not introducing myself earlier." Lightening the mood._

 _Kitty smiled. "It's normal. Most drifters tell me to call them Stud or Slick... or something they find charming." She dreadfully recalled drunken cowboys._

 _"Then they tell ya they're in love. They are your one and only and will whisk you away from all this." He joked and innocently smiled._

 _She chuckled because she couldn't help it._

 _He said, "Ah, so she does have a sense of humor. So, can you handle it?" He showcased his beautiful smiled once more._

 _Poker face took over once more. She put her hand hip, "$70 a night... that includes access to the bar but not the extras." She looked upstairs._

 _"Holy hell, $70..." He hung his head. He shook it and look up at her, "Damn!... Ya gotta love a business woman." He smiled, "I hear it's worth it."_

 _"There will be conditions. I'm in charge and everyone will answer to me. I have a reputation to uphold in this town. I have good costumers, good friends, and good girls. This is a safe haven most, and I'll use every ounce of my power to keep it that way." She looked him square in the eye, "You can have it starting a 5pm... We close at 1am & not a minute later... There's an ordnance and I won't go against the law."_

 _"There's those typical demanding woman characteristics." He smiled, "I was wondering when they would show."_

 _Kitty turned to go back behind the bar. She shrugged her shoulders as she walked away, "Well, Mister... those are my rules. You don't like em... move along."_

 _He took in her offer. He thought for a moment, "I'll be back later tonight to discuss everything. That alright?"_

 _Kitty nodded, "Absolutely."_

 _He placed his hat back on his head and smiled, "See you later, Russell." He tipped his hat and sauntered out. Kitty picked up another glass and just shook her head._

* * *

 _It was about ten o'clock now... It was slow and it had been slow... so she welcomed the Malone character's offer... but no sign of the cowboy or her cowboy._

 _She was propped up behind the bar, when Matt finally walked in. Her heart fluttered when he looked over the batwing doors at her. Sam walked passed, carrying glasses to a table, "Evenin, Marshal. Good to have ya back."_

 _Matt walked down the stairs, "Good to be home, Sam." Matt's eyes never leaving Kitty's, as he made his way to the bar, "Evenin' Kitty."_

 _Kitty smiled her warm, but tired smile, "Welcome back."_

 _He removed his hat and propped his frame against the bar in from of her, "Hey there." He looked around, "Kinda slow, uh?"_

 _She nodded. She pushed against the bar and yawned, "You wanna beer, Cowboy?"_

 _"I don't wanna be any trouble or anything." He teased._

 _She chuckled, "I'm just tired. It's been a long week, and I haven't slept well the last few weeks." She dug in his direction. Matt ducked his head as she placed two glasses of beer in front of them and a single shot of whiskey, "so it's not your fault... well not fully." She winked and took the shot, chasing it with the beer. Matt just chuckled and took a swig of his beer._

 _"Why don't you go ahead and... uh... just close up?" Matt suggested._

 _Kitty picked up on the remark, "Patience young one." Kitty winked as she turned to refil the shot glass. Matt smiled._

 _"Young?" Doc teased and swiped his mustache as he made his way next to Matt._

 _Matt and Kitty both looked up, "Evenin', Doc." Kitty smiled, "What brings you down this time of night? Thought you had an early morning."_

 _Doc nodded, "It was just so quiet down here, wanted to make sure everything was okay."_

 _Kitty nodded and covered her yawn once more, "Everything is just fine, Doc."_

 _"That cowboy come back yet?" Doc wondered. Kitty shook her head._

 _"What cowboy?" Matt looked from Kitty to Doc. Kitty looked at Doc. Doc just swiped his hand across his face and grunted. Matt repeated, "What cowboy?" Matt looked at Kitty. "Kitty." He added sternly._

 _Kitty let out a sigh, "Oh, Matt it's nothing."_

 _"Seems like something to you two." Matt commented. Doc scoffed._

 _"Some cattleman or rancher with a herd coming through. He stopped in and wanted to rent The Long Branch out for a party."_

 _"What did you say?" Matt straightened up._

 _"Look Matt.. business is slow right now, and I could use the extra income." She placed her hand on his forearm, "It's just an innocent party... well as innocent as a coming of age party can be." She smiled. Matt scoffed. Kitty eyed him for a moment , "I'm going to start closing down. I'll be in my office. Come say goodbye before you leave." She looked to Doc, "Night, Doc. See you in the morning." Doc tipped his hat._

 _Matt nodded. Doc took a swig of beer. They sat quiet for a few minutes. Doc broke the silence, "Cowboy's been asking around town for you. I haven't seen em, just heard about it. So whoever this drifter is..." Doc sat his glass down and looked over to Matt, "... I'd keep a close eye out at this party."_

 _Matt took a swig of beer, "I'm here now."_

 _"That's what I'm afraid of, son." Doc padded him on the back and turned to walk out the doors._

 _TBC_


End file.
